Daily Devotion | Numbers 3:1–39 | 2026 April 09

Title: Daily Devotion | Numbers 3:1–39 | 2026 April 09

Scripture: Numbers 3:1–39 (ESV, reference only)

Date: 2026 April 09

Speaker: Rev. John Chen

Transcribed, translated & edited by: Joseph Wang (Yufan)

Alright, dear brothers and sisters, peace to you. We thank God for His grace that has brought us to a new day to study our Daily Devotion. The passage we are studying today is Numbers chapter 3, verses 1 through 39. Let us pray. O God, we thank You. We thank You that You have given us such detailed and careful instructions regarding the guarding of the tabernacle and the carrying of the tabernacle, so that we may know how we ought to act before You: to do our utmost with all our hearts, and to keep and obey Your statutes and ordinances in an orderly and proper way, O Lord, in a manner that accords with Your heart. Lord, I ask You to show grace among us, so that in all things we may do them decently and in order, according to Your will, and thus fight this good battle. In Christ’s name, Amen.

Alright, thanks be to the Lord. We continue now in Numbers. In chapter 1, we spoke about the numbering of the men of the tribes of Israel. In chapter 2, we spoke about how they were to march and how they were to camp. Then when we come to chapter 3, it begins to move inward. It begins to speak about how the Levites were to take care of the tabernacle, and about the relationship between the Levites and the people of Israel.

Now we know that when Jacob blessed his sons, there were Simeon and Levi. Do you remember Genesis 49:5–6? There he spoke about Simeon. And when he spoke about Simeon there, Jacob was not pleased with those two sons. He judged their cruelty and their fierce anger, and therefore they were to be scattered among Israel. That is to say, they would not have their own land. But in God’s intention for the house of Levi, God rescued the Levites, as it were, out of those words of Jacob in which there seemed to be some displeasure. And what did He appoint them to do? He appointed them to become Levites, to do the work of serving the sanctuary in a special way.

So here we see that God turned around Jacob’s words. Although Jacob’s words also came from God, yet here God continues to use those words. Though Levi was scattered among Israel, though he had no land of his own, this became a blessing rather than merely a word of anger. So here we see how God showed favor to the Levites.

And from the standpoint of numbers, we see that the Levites were actually very few in number. At the end, when they were counted, all the males from one month old and upward in the whole tribe were only 22,000. But the other tribes had tens of thousands just counting those twenty years old and upward. So the tribe of Levi was a very inconspicuous tribe. It was a very, very weak tribe, the tribe with the smallest number of people.

This lets us once again see the principle of God’s mercy. God rescued the Levites out of Jacob’s words. God appointed this smallest and weakest tribe to take up the most important work. And what does that show? It shows that God’s mercy to the Levites was not because the Levites were good. Rather, it was because God chose the Levites and had mercy on them. Moses and Aaron both came from the family of Levi. It was not because of their goodness, but because God actively chose that family, set it apart as holy, and then enabled them to serve at God’s altar. So before we enter the text itself, this is the first thing we need to understand.

Alright then, when we come to chapter 3, it first speaks about the high priestly family. Among Israel, this was the holiest and also the most important family. It was one single household, and it had already begun to represent the covenant household. This is what we know. In the history of Israel, in the Old Testament, in Genesis and Exodus—in Genesis, what we read about is the covenant household, how they continually experienced God’s presence in the midst of God’s testing and help. In the end, Jacob and the seventy persons went down to Egypt. This was the ancestor-household of Israel. It was a covenant household. How many people were there? Seventy. Then, after 430 years, they became a great people numbering two million. And within such a great people, God again chose one family and made this family the representative of the people of Israel.

Which family was this? It was the family of Aaron. The family of Aaron, the high priestly family, was the holiest in all Israel. Now this holiness does not mean that they somehow had exceptionally noble morality, or especially pure conduct, as though they were the light of mankind or the glory of the nation. That is not the meaning. Here holiness means that God specially chose the family of Aaron and made it a specially blessed household. In what way was it special? It was special in that only the high priest could enter into the Most Holy Place and on the Day of Atonement offer sacrifice on behalf of the people.

And we know that in the life of the whole nation of Israel—and we mentioned this before—in the life of all Israel, warfare and fighting battles were actually not the most important matters. On the contrary, worshiping Jehovah, and worshiping Him according to the way God Himself had ordained, this was the most important matter for the whole nation. And along with that, how they were to make atonement before God—this was the core matter. So that outward matter, marching and fighting, which in human eyes seems like the most important thing for a nation—right? If it wins, the nation prospers; if it loses, the nation perishes—in Israel, however, their most important matter was not warfare.

What was at the center? At the center was whether this family could serve God according to His heart, whether they could offer sacrifice, whether they could keep all the ordinances of the sanctuary, so that the will of God might be satisfied. When the will of God was satisfied, then Israel would prevail in battle. But if they went astray, the whole nation would suffer disaster.

So this covenant household was extremely important and extremely crucial, because God chose them to do one special task: to commune with God and to deal with God. This was the most important matter in the whole nation—there was nothing more important than this. Therefore this family is one that must be specially recorded.

Now Aaron had four sons: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. All four sons were ordained into the holy office, and Moses had anointed them all. But earlier, in Leviticus, we already mentioned Nadab and Abihu. They offered unauthorized fire before Jehovah, and they had no sons. Now there seem to be two possibilities here. One possibility is that God Himself had struck them so that they had no sons. The second possibility is that they may have been relatively young and had not yet reached the age of having children. But if we reason from the fact that Moses and Aaron were already eighty-three, and by now perhaps eighty-four or eighty-five, then Nadab and Abihu were probably not young. Think about it: if we say a man has children at twenty, or even at thirty, then these sons would already have been fifty or sixty years old. So the first possibility is more likely: God did not give them offspring. Thus now it was Eleazar and Ithamar, the third and fourth sons, who took their places.

Here again we see the principle of election. Notice this carefully. First, Levi was the smallest tribe, yet God chose Levi. Then Eleazar and Ithamar, strictly speaking, had no qualification to inherit the high priestly office, because above them were two older brothers. But God chose the younger ones. So you can see that in God’s plan of mercy, He chose the weakest tribe, and He chose the lesser ones to become the high priest. This is the message we are meant to read here. The work God does, the mercy God shows—what appears to be the most glorious family is, in fact, entirely upheld by the mercy of God.

Of course, since God chose them, then were they to live in a certain way? Yes, of course. They were to live a holy life. Indeed, whether compared with the other priests, or with the Levites, or with the Israelites in general, they truly had to live a more holy life.

Then what was the work of the Levites? Their work was to minister in the tabernacle. Because the tabernacle had to be carried, and carrying the tabernacle required a great deal of manpower, they needed to be counted, and they needed to be placed under Aaron’s authority to handle these matters on his behalf. So there had to be appointed persons to do this work.

Then in verses 11 through 13, it says that the Levites were to replace the firstborn among the people of Israel. We will speak about that tomorrow, because later, in verses 40 through 51, that matter will be treated in a particular way. So for now we will leave it there. We will not discuss verses 11 through 13 yet; we will speak about them tomorrow.

Then here the counting of the Levites begins. The way the Levites were counted was different from the way the rest of Israel was counted. Their manner of counting was different: those from one month old and upward were counted. Why? Because here the main purpose of counting the Levite males was not yet to count those who would later do the work. Those who would later do the work would be counted again in chapter 4. So they are counted twice. What is the purpose of the first counting? It is to see whether their number matches the number of the firstborn in Israel—whether the number of the firstborn of Israel and the number of the Levites correspond. If they correspond, then that is sufficient. If they do not correspond, then redemption money must be paid. This is something we will speak about tomorrow.

Then next we come to the sons of Levi. Levi had three sons: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. These three sons also became like three divisions, and they camped respectively on the south side, the west side, and the north side of the holy tabernacle. This is something to note.

First, when the Gershonites camped, they were to dwell on the west side, at the back of the tabernacle. Behind them was the camp of Ephraim. So they were in the rear, in the position behind the sanctuary. Now what was the scope of service for the Gershonites? It was the coverings of the tent and the screen for the entrance of the tabernacle—that is, the soft things, the things made of cloth. They were mainly responsible for these, and in relative terms they were also responsible for some of the more outward parts. This was the work of the Gershonites. The number of males from one month old and upward was 7,500.

Then we come to the Kohathites. The Kohathites were the most important, the most central clan. The Kohathites were to serve under Aaron’s son Eleazar. Now this Eleazar later became the high priest, because Aaron had grown old. So Eleazar began to take up this responsibility as the principal leader in managing the tabernacle.

And what were the Kohathites under his oversight to do? They were to guard the ark, the table, the lampstand, the two altars, the vessels of the sanctuary, and the screen, along with all the things used there. So they were doing the inner work, the most inward work. The Kohathites were responsible for the innermost utensils, the holy vessels, and also some of the inner curtains—that is, the curtain between the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place. That belonged to the inside.

Then the third clan was the Merarites. The Merarites were on the north side of the camp. Above them was the camp of Dan. And on the south side, beneath the Kohathites, was the camp of Reuben. Now what were the Merarites to do? They were responsible for the harder structural parts: the frames, the bars, the pillars, the bases, the equipment of the tabernacle, and also the pegs and the cords—that is, the more external structures.

So these three divisions each had their own assignment. Merari was responsible for these structural things. The Gershonites were responsible for the outer coverings of the tent. The innermost things were the responsibility of Kohath. And the boards, bars, and bases were the responsibility of Merari. So here you can see that in God’s tabernacle, every single vessel was assigned to people from the tribe of Levi. In very detailed fashion it was specified: this clan does this, and that clan does that. This is the division of labor within the tribe of Levi.

Then furthermore, on the east side, at the entrance of the tabernacle, there was the responsibility of guarding the sanctuary. Whose responsibility was this? This was the responsibility of Moses, Aaron, and Aaron’s sons—that is, the high priestly family. This family was to camp behind the camp of Judah. In front of them was the camp of Judah, and behind Judah was Moses and Aaron. They were to keep guard over the tabernacle and to carry out what God had commanded on behalf of the people of Israel. Therefore, any outsider who came near would be put to death. So this was, in general, the arrangement for the front side.

Now this passage is one that perhaps we have not paid much attention to in ordinary times, so we may not have realized that in the book of Numbers there is such a detailed division of labor among the Levites. But this is something we need to remember. In the future, when we read such passages—including later when we read the historical books—we will remember what the Kohathites, the Gershonites, and the Merarites were responsible for. This is something that we need to keep in mind.

And here once again we see what we shared in the previous Daily Devotions: the wisdom of God. God led the Levites to divide their responsibilities in such a detailed way. Each clan had a specific number of people, each clan had its own area of responsibility, and even when it came to carrying the tabernacle, the general division of labor was already clearly stated. And then in chapter 4, it will become even more detailed, explaining exactly how they were to carry these things.

So what do these things tell us? They tell us that not only in building the tabernacle, not only in serving in the tabernacle, must everything be done according to the pattern that God has appointed—even in the carrying of the tabernacle, who carries what, and who is responsible for what, must all be done according to God’s arrangement. What does this show us? It shows us the requirement of the Second Commandment.

We have said before that the Second Commandment says, you shall not have other gods, you shall not make for yourself a carved image. But in fact, the Second Commandment teaches us the proper way to worship God. So in Reformed theology, this is called the Regulative Principle of Worship: we may only serve God according to the way that He has appointed.

You see, even within the tabernacle, every single item—what clan is responsible for it, who stands where, when they march and when they go to battle, who goes in front and who follows behind, how the tabernacle is to be carried—all of it is arranged in perfect order. What does that show? It shows that God cares about the way in which He is served.

So when we apply this to the church today, it is the same. The development of the church, the revival of the church—we do not need to invent new methods. We do not need church growth theories. We do not need to come up with special responses to the age in which we live. Yes, such things may exist, but they are not the most important.

What is the most important? The most important thing is that we return to Scripture and ask: how has God told us to build the church? Just as God told the Levites how to carry the vessels of the sanctuary, this is what we must learn. Only when we act according to God’s will will the church be revived. Only when we walk according to God’s method will the church flourish. This applies to the church as a whole, and it also applies to us as individuals.

For us personally, it is the same: we must listen to the Word of God, and then we will receive blessing in God. If we do not listen to God’s Word, and if we are indeed God’s covenant people, then God will discipline us. This kind of logic is a very good reminder for us. Why do we say that in everything we must follow God’s law, and in everything we must seek God’s will? It is precisely because of this principle—the regulative principle.

Think about it: from the time when Moses promulgated the law, around 1500 BC, until now, more than three thousand years have passed. The affairs of this world have undergone countless changes. Humanity has passed through many generations. Many things have changed. The environment and culture seem to have changed. And yet the Bible remains one book. Why is that? Because the Word of God is fixed in heaven and never changes.

What, then, are we to do? We are to fully obey the teaching of Scripture. In this way, we may receive the blessing of eternal life. This is something that never changes.

So from this perspective, whether we speak of Reformed theology or of the entire system of Christian theology, the degree of change is actually very small. Its core remains unchanged. And this also relates to the question of contextualization that we often talk about today—how we face different contexts. In fact, there is not much that needs to be changed, because God has already prescribed it in this way. As long as you follow His method, you will be able to accomplish the task.

Now let us go on to look at Moses and Aaron in the whole arrangement of the camp around the tabernacle, and their particular role. Moses and Aaron were on the east side, which was the entrance to the tabernacle. Around it there were barriers enclosing it. Why was it necessary to prevent outsiders from entering? Because this was a holy place.

Here Moses and Aaron, as it were, were placed like the cherubim—just as in Genesis we read about the cherubim with the flaming sword turning every way. If one wanted to enter the sanctuary, to enter the Most Holy Place, to enter the tabernacle, one had to pass through the family of Moses and Aaron. That is, one had to enter by way of sacrifice.

What does this show? It shows that where was the blessing of the whole nation of Israel? The blessing was in the tabernacle. Therefore, it was placed at the very center and most protected place. And what was the way to enter into the tabernacle? Who could enter? The high priest. And how could he enter? By bringing a sacrifice. When he was blessed, then in their worship they would be blessed, and their battles would be victorious. But if they worshiped wrongly, then their service and their warfare would fail.

So here again, in this passage, we see a type of the Lord Jesus Christ. The true High Priest is not Aaron, nor Eleazar, because they are both weak and sinful men. Only the true High Priest, the Lord Jesus Christ, brought the true sacrifice—His own body—into the Most Holy Place. And in doing so, He opened a way through the veil, so that the blessing inside could flow out.

So from this arrangement of the tabernacle, so tightly guarded on every side, we once again see the typology of the Lord Jesus Christ. May God lead us, through such an arrangement, through such detailed and careful ordering, to see once again the beauty of the Lord Jesus Christ, the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the benefit that His forgiveness brings to us.

Alright, our sharing today will end simply here. Thank you, everyone.